I would strongly encourage community members with any type of science or tech background to apply for this role, particularly if they are readers of the paper and are able to emulate its style.
I was an Editorial Fellow at The Economist in 2021. This is kind of like being an old intern, but it did give me some useful insights that I think should make you think hard about applying for this role.
- The Economist is an enormously influential publication. With approximately 5 million readers per week, it is distinguished by the quality of its readership, which is (a) elite and (b) global. That is to say, it is read by English-speaking decisionmakers in government and the private sector beyond just the English-speaking world.
- Many journalists at the paper do not have prior journalism experience; domain expertise, writing ability, and the ability to reason well are prized more highly that journalistic credentials.
- The Economist is a good workplace. More to the point, it (a) pays much better (for staff writers) and (b) is a nicer place to work than nearly any other legacy journalism outlet that I am aware of. It is also a great CV item to have.
- I think that publications like The Economist serve a valuable agenda-setting function for elites and that this is a high-leverage position to be in at a time of rapid technological and scientific progress.
This role sounds like a rare opportunity for anyone with a science or technology background who enjoys writing. The Economist has a reputation for clear, concise analysis, and being able to contribute to that kind of global conversation would be an amazing professional step.